NHL Net to Air 16 Live Pre-Season Games, Much More on Tape

NEW YORK (September 20, 2010) – Live NHL® hockey returns to NHL Network™ beginning Tuesday, Sept. 21, with an unprecedented total of 35 pre-season games broadcast on the Network in the U.S. providing fans with nightly contests from around the League through Sunday, Oct. 3. This is the most comprehensive coverage of the pre-season ever on the Network with 40 hours of live game broadcasts and 78 hours total of live and delayed broadcasts. Including re-broadcasts, there will be more than 200 hours of pre-season action available on NHL Network U.S. The 2010-11 NHL regular season commences on Thursday, Oct. 7.

The 35-game schedule begins with the Eastern Conference Champion Philadelphia Flyers taking on local rivals the New Jersey Devils at 7 p.m. ET in the first game of a Sept. 21 broadcast triple-header. The next night, the Tampa Bay Lightning will play host to the Stanley Cup® champion Chicago Blackhawks at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre and will be among three games available. Other highlights of the pre-season schedule include the 2010 Kraft Hockeyville game between the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators in Dundas, Ontario and the New York Islanders hosting the Montreal Canadiens in Quebec City. 33 out of the 35 games will be shown in HD.